Lego threw collectors an interesting twist when they introduced the Mini Figure Collections; instead of selling them in boxes or sets they packaged them individually in blind polybags. You didn’t know which mini figure would be in the package so it was lucky dip as to what you received. Thanks to some dedicated Lego lovers, several cheat sheets surfaced on the internet that allowed you to look at the bar code on the bag to see which character was inside.
The most confusing thing about the series is that they all share the same set number. If you are ordering these online you can expect to pay three to four dollars for each of them but if you are buying the “blind” version you won’t know what you are getting until you open it. There are some that are considered rarer than others. The Zombie, Demolition / Crash Test Dummy and Forestman seem to be the most popular with Lego collectors.
I have been collecting Lego for a long time and I am always on the lookout for more mini figures; the characters in this set are all done in the classic yellow format but you can convert them to flesh colored pieces if you have spare head pegs and hands. I ordered some of the blind packs online hoping to improve my chances of getting duplicates of the figures that I had a true need for; if that sounds like something you would be interested in you can buy the opened packs for about two dollars. Most of the time people are selling the opened packs to get rid of the figures they do not want or do not have a need for. Make sure that you are getting the officially licensed pieces and not custom (homemade) figures and that you are going to get all of the accessories with it.
Caveman: If Alexander Ovechkin were ever made in to a Lego mini figure I am sure it would look almost identical to this caveman. Like some of the other ‘odd’ mini figures in both series, there aren’t that many uses for something like this unless you are going to use him with some of the Adventurer or Jungle scenes and use those elements to make your own fantasy scene. I’d suggest using it with the Dino Valley themed sets but those are in the Duplo series and everything is a lot larger than standard Lego elements.
Cheerleader: Both the Cheerleader and Life Guard (from the second series) look a lot alike. To me they are Pam Anderson Lee clones but the sculpted hair piece and blue and white pom-poms look awesome on her. The cheerleader uniform was well designed and looks great on her; if they do other series outside of the first and second, it would be sweet to get another cheerleader in another color. These look great if you have any of the Lego NBA, Lego Hockey or Lego Soccer themed sets because you can have them in the scene with them or posed as, duh, cheerleaders.
Circus Clown: Zoinkies. While this is colorful and a unique character it isn’t something that has a lot of companion pieces to it so posing it or using it in a scene is a little tough. I do like the fact that it has a lot of stenciled detail on the torso and legs and a completely unique face peg but finding a use for this is a tough task. Needless to say, if you know someone that suffers from “coulrophobia” (the fear of clowns) this is something that you could use to tortue them.
Cowboy: To me this is more of an Adventurer / Indiana Jones type of mini figure than an outlaw or cowboy. The two guns are nice perks to the set and the amount of stenciling on the torso is impressive. This makes for a great add-on to the Western themed sets but could easily be added to Adventurer themed sets as well.
Astronaut: Even though there are a lot of different astronaut mini figures in the Space, Life on Mars and Mars Mission sets this one has a lot of sweet stenciled detail to it. I do love the blade that comes with it, these are items that you can never have too many of because there are so many different things that you can do with them. Thankfully he has an interesting face peg and not one of the usual boring expressionless versions.
Masked Wrestler: If you are a true Lego fanatic you will get chills when you see this. A few years ago there was a Lego wrestling themed set (Lego set # 1375 “Wrestling Scene”) that was supposed to be released in the Studio series. It was never released but there are some people that claim to own it. While this looks nothing like the mini figure included with that set (It was a Spider-Man themed set) it is still one of the cooler figures. The cape is a little stiff but it does relax after a few weeks.
Skateboarder: This is a great add on mini figure if you have the Island Extreme Stunts sets or the Skateboard Vert Park Challenge. This is an undated version of one of the characters from the theme and looks great with any of those scenes. Getting the skateboard with it is a huge perk too. If you get duplicates of this mini figure you can always use the skateboards with other characters.
Zombie: Next to the Dracula / vampire and Green Witch (both in the second series) this is one of my favorites from the Lego Mini Figure Collection series. The tattered clothing, blank expression and shovel are awesome but having it come with a hunk of meat (it’s actually a chicken leg) makes it so worth getting. The best part? The creepy red accents on the eyes. If you have the Scary Laboratory, Graveyard Duel or Arkham Asylum then consider the Zombie a must-have mini figure!
Crash Test Dummy: Even though Lego calls this a Demolition Dummy I think it looks more like a Crash Test Dummy. Regardless of what you call it, it is yet another interesting looking mini figure in the series. You would think that it would lose a little appeal because it is all done in one color but that isn’t the case because the danger logos on it give it a sweet look. The oversized wrench / tool is a nice accessory but so far no one has been able to crack the code of the tile plate that comes with it.
Deep Sea Diver: There aren’t a lot of diver figures but this one can be used with Aqua Zone sets as well as some of the Lego City sets. The goggles are a nice feature but the flippers are the same as the ones used for other underwater mini figures so they get knocked loose easily.
Forestman: Fans of the Lego Castle theme will love finding this mini figure; there are so many uses for him and thankfully he come with a bow and arrow element and a quiver. If you have any of the Black Forest sets this archer / forestman looks great and needs no added pieces to have him look perfect within a scene. The hat with the small red feather plume is a sweet perk too.
Indian: One of the more detailed characters in the series is the Indian. Like some of the others there are only a limited number of uses for this mini figure but if you liked the Western theme then this is worth tracking down. The amount of stenciled detail on the torso and legs is amazing, its something that you simply have to see in person to be able to appreciate.
Magician: Done up in a nice tuxedo, the Magician can be used for a lot of different things. He has a striking resemblance to Sam Sinister but the top hat and red accents on his stenciled clothing are what give him a great look. The magic wand is a nice find; there aren’t many things that you can do with it because of the color of it but if you ever wanted a magician mini figure here is your chance to get one.
Black Ninja: Beware of the Black Ninja! Clustered in with the Castle series there were some impressive ninja themed sets. This mini figure makes for a sweet add on for that theme and looks good no matter how you make use of it. The sword is one of the nicest accessories in this series and because of the almost all-black coloring of his outfit it shows up nicely when he is holding it.
Nurse: When you visit the Lego hospital chances are this is the person that will be helping you out. I love the two accessory pieces that you get with her; they can get lost easily and are somewhat rare elements. She has great stenciling on her torso but her leg piece is plain. The designers gave her a nice hair piece but she could have used more unique facial detailing.
Robot: If I had to pick the most detailed piece in the first series, it would have to be the Robot. One thing I love is the hand pegs; they are not typical to what you would get with a regular mini figure but they are still something that can grab, grip and hold things. The helmet, torso detailing and leg accents are just a few of the simply awesome things about the Lego Robot. Consider this a must have for anyone in to the Space themes of yore.
There are sites that are selling these by the box; if you are going to purchase them “case” style please make sure that you are going to get intact boxes and not something that someone has picked through. Since the bar code cheat sheet allows you to tell what is inside the pack, some resellers are cherry picking the more popular figures and selling off the hard-to-move ones by the case.
